Tainted bliss.Many people believe that hell is a place where sinners will burn forever, tormented throughout eternity by the devil, even while the righteous enjoy eternal bliss in heaven. It’s difficult to understand how the saved could consider heaven a blissful place while they are conscious of the suffering of sinners (some who may be their loved ones) forever in hell.
Immortal sinners in hell.But the Bible does not teach that people possess immortality. In order for the wicked to be tormented forever in hellfire, they would have to be immortal. 1 Timothy 6:16 clearly says that God “alone has immortality”, so it is impossible for mortal wicked human beings to live on forever to be tormented in a place called “hell”.
Offenders burned up.The Bible says that the wicked will be burned up, though. Jesus said, “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and the will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.” (Matthew 13: 40 – 42)
Revelation 20:9 makes it clear that the fire that will burn up unrepentant sinners will be started by God Himself after a planned attack of the holy city. “They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”
Hell's fires on earth.The place where the fire will burn is the earth. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10) It is apparent from this verse that the whole of the earth will be set on fire and all wicked persons and wickedness will be destroyed forever by the cleansing fire.
Justice done.The Bible does not state the duration of the fires. In His parable of the faithful and evil servants, Jesus taught that everyone will receive the just reward for their deeds. “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.” (Luke 12 47, 48)
In summary, the Bible teaches that hellfire will burn up sinners at the end of the world, the fires will burn the whole earth, and God will start the fire Himself.
